The south of England is expected to see the first snow of winter on Wednesday
as the north of the country and Scotland were braced for up to four inches
to fall and temperatures to plummet.

Motorists were warned of hazardous driving conditions for the next few days as temperatures were forecast to drop as low as 17F (-8C) on Wednesday night, leaving ice and frost on roads across Britain.

The Met Office issued yellow weather warnings for large stretches of Britain, stretching almost as far south as London, saying ice could cause travel disruption.

The first flurries of snow of the season in southern England will fall on Wednesday, with the east coast of England covered in a light dusting as far south as East Anglia, according to Met Office forecasts.

Snow could also fall on high areas of ground in south west England, but will be heavier in the north and across Scotland.

Any ice will be worsened by freezing conditions on Wednesday night, when temperatures are expected to fall to around 25F (-4C) in towns and cities and as low as 17F (-8C) in the countryside.

The cold snap will continue on Thursday, with up to four inches of snow expected to fall on higher ground north of the Pennines, while rain and wind will affect the south.

North-westerly winds of around 20mph will continue to depress temperatures in the south on Friday.

A Met Office spokesman said the weekend would be “generally dry, cold and frosty” while “milder interludes” were expected next week.

He added: “Be aware that there could be some icy stretches around and therefore take care on journeys and give yourself extra time as we head through the next couple of days and nights.”

The latest warning came as authorities continued to clean up after recent flooding. Some 56 Environment Agency flood alerts remained in place largely as a precautionary measure as rivers continued to run high, particularly in the south of England.